Once you’ve decided to turn your passion into a children’s activity business and write a business plan, you should turn your attention to funding. How are you actually going to get this new venture off the ground? At Sawyer, we work with thousands of children’s activity and education businesses and we know that grants are a great way to subsidize the cost of starting a new business so you can get your first students in the door.
In order to successfully win a grant, you need a strong grant proposal. Talking about your business and what you will accomplish with the money awarded to you is part of writing a good grant proposal, but personalization is even more important. Even though it might take longer to write personalized proposals for each grant, it is definitely worth the time spent. And the cover letter for a grant proposal is the number one place to show this personalization.
Use these tips and our template to help you write a great cover letter for a grant proposal.
When it comes to writing a grant proposal and winning the grant, personalization is key. Whether you are looking for government or private grants, there are a lot of incredible opportunities for you to find the right ones for your new children’s activity or education business. Here are our suggestions on how to research grant opportunities so you can personalize your cover letter and proposal.
Grants are, for all intents and purposes, free money, so it is in your best interest to do as much research as possible so that you can apply to any and all grants to which you are eligible. This means looking at government, both federal and state-level, as well as private grants. Private grants are offered by corporations and foundations and can have additional requirements. For example, some private grants are exclusively for women or minority communities.
You can find private grants here:
To find government grants, check out:
Before you start writing the cover letter of your grant proposal, do your research! Read about the mission, values, and goals of the organization or agency that is awarding the grant. Take notes so that you can tailor your cover letter and additional elements of your grant proposal to that specific agency or organization. This will help you stand out and let the reader know that you spent the time to personalize your proposal to fit this specific grant.
Most grants will include a page with past winners. Take a look at these people and their companies so you can see what the organization or agency is looking for in a grant recipient. We also recommend that you reach out to these past winners to see if you can set up an informational phone call or coffee chat to learn more about their success. If you do this, be polite and aware of their time. Come prepared with questions and be sure to say thank you afterwards.
Once you have done your research, you are ready to begin writing your grant proposal cover letter. Take a look at the website for the grant to which you are applying to make sure they do not have any styling or formatting requirements. In addition, some government grants do not require a cover letter at all. Therefore, you should always double check before writing one.
October 21, 2021
Anytown, USA 12345
Please find enclosed the grant proposal for Little Hands Art Community, a new art program helping children find their passion for creation. We are respectfully requesting a grant of $50,000 to start this children’s education program with online and in-person activities for children of all ages. Art has incredible abilities to help children regulate their emotions and stabilize their feelings, according to research done by the National Endowment for the Arts.
By working with qualified art teachers as well as licensed developmental specialists, Little Hands Art Community has a goal of teaching children to find beauty in everything. We will have classes available for children of all ages and ability levels. In addition, part of the funding requested will go towards scholarships and free classes that will help children from low-income families attend classes.
We have been working with children in our neighborhood of Santa Fe on our own for 6 months now and seen a vast improvement not only in fine motor skills, but also in emotional intelligence. Parents and teachers have reported that the classes have helped students better understand themselves and each other. We know that setting the next generation up for success is one of the missions of Organization Name and we hope you can see how Little Hands Art Community fits into that goal.
Thank you for taking the time to read our included proposal and consider us for this grant. We look forward to speaking with you more about how Little Hands Art Community can partner with Organization Name to help more children lead happy and healthy lives. If you have any immediate questions or need further information, feel free to reach out to me at 555-555-5555.
Elizabeth Jones (signature)
Founder, CEO of Little Hands Art Community
Santa Fe, New Mexico 12345
With these tips & cover letter grant proposal sample, you should be well on your way towards writing a strong cover letter for grant proposals. For even more information on how to get a small business grant, check out our guide. If you are looking for more guidance on how to start a business teaching children, the resources and tools offered by Sawyer for Business can help.
